Mourner Hit With $100 Parking Fine At Friend’s Funeral, Asked To Produce Death Certificate
A distressed mourner, who was slapped with a $100 parking fine while attending a friend’s funeral, spoke out in shock to reporters after having been asked to produce her friend’s death certificate when she challenged the penalty.
70-year-old Sylvian McMillan from Plaistow in the UK, was mortified herself when she needed to contact relatives of the deceased in order to request a copy of the death certificate for Newham Council.
Having attended the service in October at the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium in Manor Park, McMillan parked in spaces reserved for funeral attendees.
Unfortunately, those spaces are only reserved until 6:30 pm and McMillan outstayed her welcome in the spot by a few minutes.
When McMillan appealed the fine she was told she had to pay up within 14 days or produce a copy of the death certificate.
As she told reporters,
“I had to go to the family at such a sad time for them – I was really embarrassed. I thought that was really nasty – it’s left a very bad taste. They shouldn’t be doing that. I had to go to my neighbour to get the death certificate as proof that I was at the funeral. If they’re doing that to me, what are they doing to other people?”
After being sent the death certificate the council finally accepted the appeal, as McMillan added, “‘I’m pleased because I was going to fight this all the way. Don’t just pay the money if you think something is not right.”
A spokesman for Newham Council spoke to reporters about the incident saying, “Newham Council apologises for any distress that Ms McMillan and her neighbours have experienced during this sad time. As requested by the relatives, bays in the residents’ parking zone were suspended to accommodate the funeral cortege and the council was also provided with registration details of these vehicles.”
Despite the apology and the reversal of the fine, Mrs McMillan was left shocked and appalled at the way she’d been treated by the local council who are now reviewing its policy when it comes to parking for funerals.
